Before I get this thing started I just want to say that we will back to the regular format this week: a sizable rant about one particular topic and then a few random thoughts on some sporting tidbits from the week that was.
Hey, New York Jets fans, don’t look in your rearview mirror right now but a familiar face is gaining on you in the AFC East race. That face, of course, would be Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington. Back in August (shortly after the Brett Favre deal was consummated) I wrote a post (on my old blog host) stating that Jets fans may come to miss Pennington more than they know. Well, here we are with just three weeks left in the NFL regular season and the Dolphins are tied with the Jets (and the Patriots) atop the AFC East at 8-5…and Pennington is the man leading the charge.
Pennington has thrown for 3,062 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 93.7 QB rating so far this season. Favre has been the typical gun-slinging Favre, throwing for 2,845 yards and 20 touchdowns while sprinkling in 15 interceptions. But it’s not about the stats. To really appreciate what’s going on here, you have to look at the details in the big picture.
Pennington was cast aside like yesterday’s news, cut almost immediately after the Favre deal became official. He was scooped up by Miami just two days later and within a week of practice time was put in charge of reviving a 1-15 team that had more than its fair share of problems moving the football. Favre, meanwhile, was brought in with AFC Championship and Super Bowl dreams for the Broadway faithful. Fourteen weeks later both men are the pilots of 8-5 teams but if you look closely, these two squads couldn’t be any further apart.
The Dolphins are, perhaps, the surprise story of the league. Head coach Tony Sparano, offensive coordinator Dan Henning, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, and leading executive Bill Parcells completely changed the culture surrounding the franchise, overhauled the schemes on both sides of the football, and brought in their kind of hard-nosed football players. They have balance in the run and pass game and they are incredibly efficient with the football. Yes, the Dolphins (not the Titans, Giants, or Bucs) currently lead the NFL with a +12 turnover differential. Pennington has thrown just six interceptions and the team has only lost four fumbles, totaling just ten Dolphins turnovers (They’ve forced 22.).
The Jets, on the other hand, have lost their last two, to the average Denver Broncos and the woeful San Francisco 49ers. Just two weeks ago the Jets were 8-3 and there was talk of a Giants Stadium Super Bowl. Now the Jets are 8-5 and fighting for their playoff lives. With the superb play of the Steelers and Ravens in the AFC North and the Titans and Colts in the AFC South it is very possible that only team will get in from the AFC East, the division winner.
The schedule may offer a break for the Jets as they get Buffalo and Miami at home while traveling to Seattle in between to close out the season. But Favre is turning the ball over like it’s his job and he’s throwing for just 218.8 yards a game. Remember a few weeks back when it seemed like everyone was going out of their way to praise Favre, teammates included. Now all of a sudden I don’t hear much coming out of the Jets’ Florham Park facility, just the sound of a team that has blown its chance to secure a playoff berth and is now settling in for the fight of its life. And let’s not get started on head coach Eric “The Man-Genius” Mangini. He and his staff are poorly misusing Favre and one has to wonder if he will ever take the reigns off his future Hall of Fame quarterback at the right time in the football game. The few times he’s decided to let loose it couldn’t have been any worse as he gave up on the run way too soon in the game. Hey, Thomas Jones is having a career season after all. I still don’t think Mangini understands what he has with Favre and he’s running out of time to figure it out. The regular season is almost over and the odds of Favre coming back for the 2009 season are quite long.
The praise for Pennington keeps pouring in, though, as the Dolphins have won six of their last seven contests:
“It has helped a whole lot getting a player of that caliber to be the leader of your offense…He’s like the pied piper…He’s just saying, ‘This is what we’re doing’ and they look forward to doing it.” – Tony Sparano, Dolphins head coach
“When he walked in here the first day, he had an agenda. He wants it bad enough to do whatever it takes, and it rubs off on these other players. That was very good for this team at this point in time.” – Dan Henning, Dolphins offensive coordinator
“He lifts up our spirits like our father. He’s like a dad out there. When we’re out there and we’re feeling down, he just gives us a little saying to get us pumped up.” – Samson Satele, Dolphins center
I’m sure most Jets fans would still take Favre and his rocket arm in a heartbeat over Pennington and his smarts. But come Week 17 at the Meadowlands it may all very well be on the line: playoff berth, AFC East title, and first round home game, when the Dolphins and Jets meet to close out the season. And maybe I’m the only one who’s curious but I wonder which head coach…I mean, quarterback…Jets fans would like to have at that point because it’s very possible that the “Man Genius” and the “Favre Project” will hit rock bottom courtesy of poor play-calling, lack of game management, flat players, and turnovers galore…I’m just sayin’…
Some other news and notes:
- The college football bowl lineup is set and there are plenty of interesting storylines besides the Oklahoma/Florida National Championship matchup. How about Vanderbilt returning to a bowl game for the first time since 1982? How about Utah going down to the Sugar Bowl to try and stun Alabama? How about Hawaii having a chance to show everyone that a 6-6 Notre Dame team has no business going to a bowl game? And how about what could turn out to be the best bowl matchup of the holiday season: 12-0 Boise State versus 10-2 TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl?
- Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings are up and running at full speed. The Mets get K-Rod and are closing in on J.J. Putz to set him up. The Yanks get CC and make an offer to A.J. Burnett. The Nats offer Mark Teixeira an eight-year deal. Jake Peavy is on the verge of heading to Wrigley. The Royals are in the running for Rafael Furcal. The Indians are close to grabbing Kerry Wood. After nearly two stagnant months following the World Series things are definitely heating up on the Hot Stove.
- The Syracuse search for a new head football coach continues. Does anyone want this job at this point? After many interviews it looks like it will go one of three ways: Skip Holtz, Turner Gill, or Al Golden. Stay tuned…
- The Devils are finally coming to life in the wake of losing Martin Brodeur. They have won eight of their last nine games, improved to 15-8-2 overall, and upped their record to 9-6 since losing Brodeur during their November 1st game against Atlanta. Scott Clemmensen has come back from AHL exile with Toronto’s minor-league affiliate and is starting to look like an NHL goaltender again. This is extremely encouraging heading into Friday’s showdown with the hated Blueshirts.
- Triple H looks to regain the WWE Championship (becoming a 13-time WWE Champion in the process) in a Triple Threat Match against Jeff Hardy and reigning WWE Champion Edge at Armageddon this Sunday on pay-per-view. In the RAW half of the main event, Chris “Don’t Call Me Y2J” Jericho looks to regain the World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena. Should be interesting.
- Finally, yesterday saw the conclusion of “Jimmy V Week” as #6 Texas took down #15 Villanova and #23 Davidson beat West Virginia in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. “Jimmy V Week” celebrates the life of former college basketball coach Jim Valvano, the man who orchestrated what may have been the greatest Cinderella story in NCAA history when he guided N.C. State to the 1983 National Championship. “Jimmy V Week” also raises cancer awareness and brings in funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Valvano’s speech at the 1993 ESPY Awards is still one of the most heart-wrenching moments I’ve ever seen. Valvano said it best himself: “We need money for research. It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love.” And of course we all remember, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Jimmy V was a class act all the way and his foundation has raised over $80 million for cancer research since being founded in 1994. If you find yourself in need of a good cry or a little inspiration, go here and watch Valvano’s 1993 speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E
Until next time.
-Meech
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